I was so moved to see the many different creative writings about the oil spill that I'm including them for you here. Your task this week; spend an hour or more sending energy and praying for the gulf in the way that works best for you. I invite you to read through each of the ideas below and pick one or more that speaks to you the most.


FROM CHIEF ARVOL LOOKING HORSE

My Relatives,

Time has come to speak to the hearts of our Nations and their Leaders. I ask you this from the bottom of my heart, to come together from the Spirit of your Nations in Prayer.

We, from the heart of Turtle Island, have a great message for the World; we are guided to speak from all the White Animals showing their sacred color, which have been signs for us to pray for the sacred life of all things. As I am sending this message to you, many Animal Nations are being threatened, those that swim, those that crawl, those that fly, and the plant Nations, eventually all will be affected from the oil disaster in the Gulf.

The dangers we are faced with at this time are not of spirit. The catastrophe that has happened with the oil spill which looks like the bleeding of Grandmother Earth, is made by human mistakes, mistakes that we cannot afford to continue to make.

I ask, as Spiritual Leaders, that we join together, united in prayer with the whole of our Global Communities. My concern is these serious issues will continue to worsen, as a domino effect that our Ancestors have warned us of in their Prophecies.

I know in my heart that there are millions of people that feel our united prayers for the sake of our Grandmother Earth are long overdue. I believe we as Spiritual people must gather ourselves and focus our thoughts and prayers to allow the healing of the many wounds that have been infilicted on the Earth.

As we  Honor the Cycle of Life, let us call for Prayer circles globally to assist in healing Grandmother Earth (our Unc'I Maka). We ask for prayers that the oil spill, this bleeding, will stop. That the winds stay calm to assist in the work. Pray for the people to be guided in repairing this mistake, and that we may also seek to live in harmony, as we make the choice to change the destructive path we are on.

As we pray, we will fully understand that we are all connected. And that what we crate can have lasting effect on all life.

So let us unite spiritually, All Nations, All Faiths, One Prayer. Along with this immediate effort, I also ask to please remember June 21st, World Peace and Prayer Day/Honoring Sacred Sites day. Whether it is a natural site, a temple, a church, a synagogue or just your own sacred space, let us make a prayer for all life, for good decision making by our Nations, for our children's future and well-being, and the generations to come.

Onipikte (that we shall live),
Chief Arvol Looking Horse
19th generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe


FROM JOE VITALE

It's hard to miss the news about the oil spill
in the Gulf of Mexico.

What can we do about it?

I'm taking a big risk in telling you about this,
but I believe it's worth it.

See http://clearthegulf.com

Here's the story...

A few people wrote me, recalling that years ago
I sent out an email inviting everyone to envision
Hurricane Rita dissolving before it hit land.

Rita did in fact lessen in power as it hit.

A few others know about the Attract Miracles
community I created with Craig Perrine to
help people support each other to achieve
their intentions.

Hundreds have been going there since we
began it, and the results are a-maz-ing.

What you may not realize is that 23 scientific
studies prove that when people focus on a
common goal, using meditation to achieve
inner peace, that goal tends to come about.

With all of that in mind, Pat O'Bryan and I
created a special clearing audio designed
to help Clear the Oil Spill.

And we're giving it away.

The Clearing Oil Spill audio uses the same
formula we've been using in all of our other
clearing audios - my strategic statements and
Pat's original music - woven together using
hi-tech equipment and breakthrough processes
to speak right to your unconscious mind.

When you work with the unconscious, you
also tap into the collective unconscious.

And that's where we can impact the oil spill
and anything else we perceive as bad.

Scoff if you like but we feel it's at least worth
a few minutes a day to listen to our special
audio and let it help you clean the world from
the inside out.

If nothing else, consider it a relaxing few
moments for yourself.

And maybe, just maybe, it may heal the
Gulf, and the Earth, as well.

It's worth a try, isn't it?

Get the audio at --

http://clearthegulf.com

And please tell others about it.

If you can forward this email to family and
friends, Twitter it, Facebook it, blog it and
anything else you can think of, it will help
us all.

Again, it's freeee.

Let's make a difference.

It begins with you and me.

Will you help?

Love,

Joe


FROM THE THIRTEEN GRANDMOTHERS

"You Are Desperately Needed"
"We ask you to cast, anchor, and hold the Net of Light steady for the Gulf of Mexico," the Grandmothers said. "This crisis is affecting the entire world, and humanity is asleep. Wake up!" they cried. "Animals are dying, plants are dying, and your Mother is writhing in agony.

If you hold the Net of Light steady at this time you will help stave off further catastrophe."You have been lulled into a false sleep," they said, "told that others (B.P.) will take care of this problem. This is not so," they said. "And this is not the time for you to fall into oblivion.

Determine now to stay awake, and once you have made that commitment, think of, cast, and hold the Net of Light. Hold it deep and hold it wide. Amplify its reach to penetrate the waters of the Gulf and dive deep beneath the crust of Mother Earth. Anchor it at the earth's core and as you hold it there, ask it to unify with the mineral kingdom of this planet.

It will do this and will harmonize with all the solid and liquid mineral states on earth-including oil and gas. The Net of Light will call these minerals back into harmony."Whatever human beings have damaged, human beings must correct," the Grandmothers said. "This is the law. We repeat: This is the law.You cannot sit back and ask God to fix the mess humanity has created. Each of you must throw your shoulders to the wheel and work.

We are asking for your help. Several years ago we gave you the Net of Light so you would be able to help the earth at times like this. Step forward now. This is the Net of Light that will hold the earth during the times of change that are upon you," they said."First move into your heart and call on us. We will meet you there. The Net of Light is lit by the jewel of your heart," they said, "so move into this lighted place within you and open to the Net of which you are a part. Bask in its calming presence. It holds you at the same time that you hold it."

Now think of magnifying your union with us. We, the Great Council of the Grandmothers, are with you now, and all those who work with the Net of Light are also with you. There are thousands, even millions now connected in light," they said. "Along with this union, call forth the power of the sacred places on earth. These will amplify the potency of our joint effort. Then call on the sacred beings that have come to prevent the catastrophe that threatens to overwhelm your planet. We will work together," they said, nodding slowly."Think of, cast and magnify the presence of the Net of Light in the Gulf of Mexico. See, imagine or think of it holding the waters, holding the land, the plants, the sea life, and the people. Holding them all!" they said.

"The Net of Light is holding them steady; it is returning them to balance. Let the love within your lighted heart keep pouring into the Net of Light and hold, hold, hold. Calmly and reverently watch as the light from your heart flows along the strands of the Net. It will follow your command and continuously move forth. As soon as you think of it, it will happen. We ask you to practice this for only a few minutes at a time, but to repeat it throughout the day and night."We promise that this work with the Net of Light will do untold good," the Grandmothers said. "We are calling you to service now. You are needed. Do not miss this opportunity. We thank you and bless you."


FROM MICHELE BOCCIA

I imagine you are all watching in horror as tons of oil spills into the ocean each day.  We can do something.  I know how powerful positive energy and prayer can be when many people are focused on one thing. Change happens.

 I ask you for the next three Thursdays to offer the prayer below or use your own words.  We need to  send as much positive energy and light to the engineers at BP so that they can figure out a way to stop the poison.

Please do this. Please send this email to your entire email list. The more energy we send to them, the  more powerful. We can make a difference.  It’s happened before and it can happen again.

For the next three Thursdays, whenever you think about it, send positive energy to the engineers at BP.

In peace,
Michele

Prayer:
I ask you, God of Nature, to give the engineers at BP the knowledge and support they need to cap the rig that is flowing oil into your sacred waters.  Let them be open to your divine grace.  I send my love and positive energy to them as well.

Think this thought for the next three Thursdays: God, give BP engineers wisdom and insight.


FROM VICKI NOBLE

So many of you have responded to my post from last week about doing “menstrual magic” in relation to the Gulf catastrophe. And many of you have asked me for particular “instructions” on what to do―what kind of visualization or healing work might we share together, even what time of day would be best, etc. I can do that to some extent; I can create some shared meditations that we all do for a few days or a week at a time, and then I can send a new one periodically. But as I listen to the terrible news of more and more oil gushing from deep in the ocean, and all the unfathomable devastation to people, plants, animals, and whole ecosystems, all I feel is sorrow. I think our main meditation should be one of empathy or joining with those who are suffering, with the main thrust of the meditation being what Jennifer Berezan called “Praises for the World.”

The BAM syllable of Vajrayogini is sufficient for calling in or invoking the female divine energies of life, creativity, empowerment, and awareness. You just think of red Vajrayogini; she’s the quintessential sacred woman, embodied and empowered to act spontaneously for the benefit of all beings. You hold her BAM syllable in your heart and imagine it glowing with red fiery energy (shakti). It’s enough (in my mind) to invoke these sacred female energies and pray for the world. Any way we can think of to do that is great. Be creative! Just wanting to help and heal is fabulous―and I think it doesn’t hurt to say “sorry.” I am certainly sorry for what we are doing to the planet in our consumer-driven, technological global society. Express your sorrow. Let the Earth know that YOU know you are part of her ecosystem, that you feel her pain, and that you love and feel anguish for all the beings who are suffering directly from this catastrophe.

If you are a bleeding woman, then offer your blood to any moving body of water with your prayers. All these waters end up at the ocean, so you can help with this offering no matter where you live. Make it count, give your precious red substance as an offering of compassion and oneness. Offer your tears and your pain, your helplessness as well as your powerful wishes for the miracle of regeneration.

If you are no longer a bleeding woman, hold space for all the young women you know to become aware of the power they hold in their monthly flow. Spread the word, join with them, make your own offerings of blood wisdom and life experience―let the Mother Earth know you are with her, actively sharing and praying.

And all you beautiful men who feel aligned, imagine making a protective hoop or circle around all these powerfully expressive bleeding women and girls, holding space for them and for Mother Earth (whom the Andean indigenous people call “Pachamama”) and all of nature. The important thing is that we are not isolated, not separate from this or any other tragic manifestation of global catastrophe. We are part and parcel of what is happening, whether in Haiti, Chile, or Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida, or―eventually, inevitably―in our own neighborhoods.

I will attach a photo of the lovely altar we made at the Vajrayogini retreat I recently facilitated in Italy.  I look forward to continuous energetic connection with each and all of you, as we make our love offerings and sing our “Praises for the World.” ( http://www.edgeofwonder.com/gallery)



FROM NICKI SKULLY

Dear Friends,
The debacle in the Gulf is generating a tremendous amount of news, and for the most part we fret and express our disgust and sorrow, and complain about BP and all that is not being done. We need to do more, yet not many of us can contribute physically, and few of us have the experience or skill to provide workable solutions to expedite the clean-up of the waters, beaches, wildlife, toxic chemical/oil mix, or economic situation that is and will continue to plague the region for an indeterminate amount of time.

What we can do is work energetically and spiritually to affect the situation. What we can do is recognize our power as co-creators and access our high selves and our greater wisdom. What we can do is put out a call for help and see who shows up. And what we can do is learn our lessons in such a way as to create a beautiful, healthy and safe world for our children and our children's children…

Our ceremony for healing the Gulf will be designed to connect to whatever aspect of this disaster touches you most deeply and personally. With the exponential power of our numbers, we will put out a call for help in a way that will allow you to experience directly, through your vision in the journey we will take together, solutions that you may not have imagined.

Also join us in an online discussion on my Facebook page.
www.shamanicjourneys.com

MATTER OF TRUST
http://www.matteroftrust.org/

Gathering donated hair to soak up the oil...

Why I Cut Off A Foot of Hair and Donated it to a Stranger

It started off with a conversation with my sister, who said, "Hey, I heard you could cut off seven or eight inches of hair and donate it to have a wig made for kids…"

I chewed on this information for months. I'd wanted to trim my very long hair for a while, but eight inches of it?

So I went into research mode. Perhaps I could still be generous by only donating, say, 4 inches of hair.

What I found out about the process of making a wig for a child inspired me to happily get a foot of hair lopped off. That and one evening that tipped the scales and sent me running into the arms of my hairdresser.

First the wig research:

• Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

• It takes as many as 30 ten-inch donations of hair to make one wig (!), which are made by hand, strand by strand.

• The custom fit wigs are then cut in  whatever style the child prefers. The wigs are designed to stay put while the child sleeps, swims, showers, and roughhouses with pals. Amazing!

• The minimum donation for the program "Locks of Love," which makes wigs for kids for free, is ten inches.

Gulp.

When I was in college I shaved my  head and sported short hair for a couple of years. What I learned is that  while it is fabulous to have people pet your fuzzy head when you have no hair, taking care of short hair is a pain. I  much prefer long hairthat you can  put up in a bun, braid, pull back, or leave long.

The turning point came when I  spent a week ignoring my hair through multiple trips in and out of the hot tub, choosing to the twist the entire pile into a messy but functional  bun. Each day my hair approached the distinctive status of resembling one massive dreadlocked bird's nest.

It took two of us armed with a comb each over and hour to detangle the result of my hair abandonment.  My friend is a professional dog  groomer who regularly demattes  long-haired dog fur. She spent the hour  quietly cursing my stubbornness for not brushing my hair for a week.

Nothing like a little motivation to spur me to action. Something had to change. And I had the perfect person to sever my problem hair.

Enter Bob, my hair savior.

Bob had been my hair savior and color deity for years when I lived in Santa Fe. My friend Gini and I spent hours every few months being pampered and primped and prettified by the brilliance of Bob's touch and his eye for just the right hue of brown or red. Or often purple, in my case.

Then I moved, and my hair has not been the same.

To my incredible delight, I discovered that Bob had moved back to his hometown of Marble Falls, TX last year and opened his own salon, Mojo. Marble Falls is a mere 45 minutes from my front door.

Road trip! My friend and Toltec Center teacher and minister Diana piled into her car one Friday afternoon and headed for the land of hair mojo. After much hugging, with glasses of wine in hand, Bob turned his sharp eye on my mop. He circled. He pondered. He asked "And what are you thinking about doing with your hair?"

I took a deep breath and surrendered myself into his hands. "I want to cut most of it off, and donate it to Locks of Love."

Soon Bob was skillfully creating one long braid down my back, and with three snips I was less years of growth, and a child I'll never meet was closer to a new head of hair.

To celebrate we dyed my hair purple, and added a sassy blonde streak.

I love it.

Each day when I effortlessly brush my hair, I send my blessings to the child who has or will receive what used to be hang almost to my waist. May it bring them self-confidence and enhance their connection to their inner beauty.

I wonder what color Bob and I will go for next.

If you are blessed enough to live in the Austin area, join Bob's facebook page and call him for a new look… His passion is "helping women (and men) to stop hiding behind their hair." (830) 265-6811

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marble-Falls-TX/Mojo-salon/69478564084

If you have an extra eight inches or more of hair, check out:

http://www.locksoflove.org/

http://www.pantene.com/en-US/beautiful-lengths-cause/Pages/default.aspx

http://hair.lovetoknow.com/Donating_Hair_for_Cancer_Victims

Coming Full Circle; Jerry Garcia and Krishna Das in San Francisco

You know those times when your life comes full circle, and you get to see the panoramic view of who you were and who you have become?

I had one of those nights last night.

What an experience to see not only the differences, but the similarities of this being who is now called HeatherAsh Amara, and was then called Heather MacKenzie-Gaudet. (If you want to know more about my name change, click here for the blog post.)

I flew into Oakland yesterday to attend a concert of two of my favorite kirtan "bands," Krishna Das and Deva Premal & Miten. Five minutes after sitting in my faded red velvet balcony seat in San Francisco's Warfield historic theatre I was immersed in chanting Sita Ram with hundreds of other people.

As Krisha Das and the audience passed the chant back and forth, I felt my heart get as big as the room. To my right and just below me, a man threw up his arms in devotion and swayed to the music. I followed the happy gaze of the woman sitting next to me, and saw that dozens of people were dancing and chanting in the upper aisles.

That's when past and present merged, and I felt the overlay of being in this same place a double-handful of years ago, immersed in the energy of devotion in this same place as we sang to Jerry Garcia and his band.

What a long, strange, trip it's been.

For years I pilgrimaged to see Jerry and the Grateful Dead as often as I could. I was one of the long-haired, long-skirted girls dancing and spinning in the hallways, arms wide to the universe as I celebrated the divine marriage of the music and my soul.

At the Warfield once again, immersed in a peaceful sea of sacred song, I floated free of time and separation. Who I was, who I am, Jerry, Krishna Das, and all the beings around me, past and future, physical and spirit, all coalesced into one.

I spent the rest of the evening at the apex of the balcony section, alternatively sitting cross-legged on the top red-carpeted stair and singing mantras with my thousands of new friends,  dancing to gospel music "Jesus on the main line, tell him what you want...." or swaying barefoot in my long skirt to rocked-up ancient indian chants.

Krishna Das shared stories between songs, and one image in particular made me laugh out loud at the gloriousness of being human with all of our resistance and struggle.

There is a train that has left the station, and it is speeding towards its destination. Inside the train you may be running as fast as you can in the opposite direction, but when the train gets to the station, so do you.

Later in the evening, as Deva and Miten led us in singing "living in the light of love, we are home," I understood. Home has no past, no present, no future. And the train has already arrived AND it is still en route, and we are all going home, one way or another.

Here is a you tube clip from the gospel part of the show... Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFyprviFejE

You Can Help Peruvian Flood Victims Directly!

A week or so before we headed to Peru we started hearing the news: That intense rains were causing unprecedented flooding and landslides, mainly in the Cusco and Puno regions, the two areas on our tour.

It was difficult to get news on what was happening, but I finally found a Peruvian blog site that showed incredible photos and videos of the disaster.

http://enperublog.com/2010/01/26/emergency-declared-in-cusco-heavy-rains-flood-the-region/


As we flew to Lima on February 2, Raven and I talked about how we might be able to help. I was really hoping to do some hands-on support, and a sweet miracle allowed that to happen.


I wrote on facebook that I was in Cusco, and a college friend, Annika wrote back: Hey, are you going to see Pilar while you are there? So I emailed Pilar, and yes indeed she was in Cusco! We talked via skype and I found out she was leaving in an hour to deliver blankets to people affected by the flood.


And so I was soon snuggly packed into a jeep with four women and Pilar's 6-year old niece, Asraya. Pilar's sister, Sunday, lives in Cusco with her three children and husband. They are building a yoga retreat near Pisac (which was somehow miraculously not affected by the flooding..) So Sunday knows what was most needed and the areas most affected.

Our first stop was to buy blankets at a local store; we bought 100 but were only able to load 60 into our two cars. The remaining 40 will be brought in another run.

The government has set up blue tents for everyone who lost a home; one area was filled with blue tents curved into the hillside; another village was completely devastated: all the houses and crops remain underwater. This community is now wall to wall tents in a stadium in the closest town; over 300 families. They are in need of fresh food; the government and other organizations have donated rice and beans. In a few months they will also need seed for a new crop. No one knows where they will rebuild their homes, since the area they were living was a dry lake that is now not dry at all.


Thank you so much to all the people that donated money to help these people; as of today we have raised over $1,300! We are very grateful to have the opportunity to help in such a direct way. Sunday will continue to bring supplies out to the villages in the coming months. Pilar heads home tomorrow; we are leaving for Puno tomorrow, but will come back to Cusco in a week and be able to bring more money to Sunday.


For more photos, click here

To read Pilar's blog, which has extensive photos and video, click here 
It takes a while to download the photos, so be patient

To donate via paypal go to tolteccenter.org and scroll down to the donation button.... Blessings!

And here is the original letter Raven wrote, in case you have not seen it...

Greetings!

We are in Peru and it is truly magnificent. As usual the people are lovely and the land here is rich and nourishing. We are very excited to being doing a big ceremony with about 260 people and large number of Incan and North American native elders at Late Titicaca next week. Tune in, the energy is already Rockin!

Perhaps you have heard that Peru has had major flooding over the last few weeks. In the two areas we are visiting over 8000 people are now homeless from mudslides and flooding wiping out their houses and their crops. We are on the ground with people who are heading up relief efforts for these folks. Our dear friend Jorge Delgado is acquiring blankets and food for the people in the Lake Tittcaca region and HeatherAsh's college friend Pilar is doing the same for the people in the Pisac region close to Cusco and Macchu Picchu areas.

The Toltec Center has already donated $1000 to Jorge's effort and today we bought 75 blankets and HeatherAsh went with Pilar to deliver them to the folks by Pisac.

We would like to do even more, the people by Pisac need fresh vegatables, water and meat to feed all the folks whose homes were flooded, and we would like to get them and the Lake Titicaca folks more help over the next two weeks we are here.

It is hard to work toward personal freedom when you don't have food and shelter. Help us help these folks feel a little more spaciousness, a little more gratitude to Spirit, a little more like they are held by the Divine, by sending the money they need to aquire that food, shelter, and warmth that is a bit scarce here at the moment! Just click on the "donate" image below.

All donations are tax deductible, we will happily send you a donation letter with our EIN number for your tax records.

You do not need a paypal account to donate, simply click on the "continue" button at the bottom left of the donation screen to pay with any major credit card without having a paypal account.

Thanks for your time

In Love

HeatherAsh, Raven and the staff of the Toltec Center

Immune Pushups for the Winter

Immune Pushups for the Winter

After being sick for six weeks with the flu and then bronchitis and then a sinus infection, I've been gathering lots of information about healing and prevention that I wanted to share. Especially since when I went to the doctor he said that the flu season has not yet officially begun; its cycle is December/January, and this is only the first wave!

The best thing we can do to avoid the flu is simple prevention measures, as outlined below. And I also added good support for if you do get a virus this winter.

One thing I loved about being sick is that is helped me slow down, and I got to see that illness no longer makes me suffer (okay, just a bit of whining here and there!) My body was tired and icky, but I stayed happy most of the way through.

And I got to connect with so many people sending me healing wishes, their stories, and remedies... What a great web we are all weaving on the internet.

ELDEBERRY

From a friend of a friend:

I'm not sure how much flu concern is in your world, but there's plenty happening here in Austin.  I just received this information today, so i thought I'd pass it along in case any of you are immersed in germs or the public or exposed to flu. Apparently elderberry is an excellent natural flu preventative and if used for flu treatment, can reduce the intensity and length of the related symptoms significantly...and its not hard to find.

...from the last sentence of the study: "The H1N1 inhibition activities of the elderberry flavonoids compare favorably to the known anti-influenza activities of Oseltamivir (Tamiflu; 0.32 microM) and Amantadine (27 microM)."

A former classmate of mine now studying at bastyr passed this along today (please) - http://bastyrcenter.org/content/view/1146/

Here is a link to diff brands: http://www.iherb.com/Elderberry-Sambucus -

Elderberry flavonoids bind to and prevent H1N1 inf...[Phytochemistry. 2009] - PubMed Result

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

H1N1 AND ALL FLU  PREVENTION

From Gini Gentry:

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital , Bombay Hospital , Saifee Hospital , Tata Memorial etc..     

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.  

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):   

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications). Carry hand sanitizer with you when you go out into the world and use after all interactions.

2.  "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (except to eat or bathe).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected o ne. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at using a Neti pot to clean nasal cavities, but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5.. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.             

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

       

ESSENTIAL OILS

From Robin Karlstedt via facebook

"i am way into aromatic botanical medicine and peppermint oil clove oil cinnamon oil tea tree are all great to inhale mix in a little lemon or rosemary to protect your liver .mix a few drops of each and rub them on the soles of your feet and palms then inhale / every three hours blessings"

And from Celena Kuhlman

Rub together juniper and lavender? and inhale deeply. I think Celena said lavender, I'll check and get back to you! Rhonda recommended rosemary oil as well...

MASTER CLEANSE

A great way to clear out your system.... lots of information on the internet, just google "master cleanse:

To make a gallon (recommend amount to drink per day while fasting...)

1 make 10 oz of lemon juice and pour that into a empty 1 gallon jug.

then i measure out 10 oz of maple syrup and pour that in..

far as cayenne pepper goes i mix it in per glass as i find it i put it directly into the 1 gallon jug it just all settles to the bottom anyway.

Feel free to send in more ideas!

Bypassing the Flu to talk about Food and Gardening....

I was going to write about having the flu for the past month:

For the past month I've been the reluctant host to an influenza 
virus that moved in and metaphorically cleaned out my refrigerator 
and then invited another unwelcome guest, bronchitis, to move in 
and start rearranging the furniture.

The good news is that while influenza and bronchitis where 
partying it up, I got to rest.

But I just realized I'm tired of giving the flu attention. I'd rather
write about my garden and food : )

The greens I planted last month are already three times the
size and ready to be harvested. I planted more greens after
clearing out six large bushes of basil; and now we have jars
of pesto lining the freezer, along with canned tomatoes from
the local farm.

Raven and I have shifted our diet, and we are mainly eating
vegetables and organic, grass-finished meats (which means
the animals are either wild or spend their entire lives out to
pasture and are not fed grain). There is interesting research
around eating a diet that is free of grains, dairy, and legumes....
For more info check out: http://www.paleodiet.com/

This weekend we had fresh venison, shot with a bow and
arrow by my friend T's cousin. Blessings to that beautiful
critter that nourished us on Saturday night.

I'm also experimenting with raw food recipes from a Gabriel
Cousins book. Latest creation: cashew cream with cinnamon
and agave nectar, yum! Today I am soaking oat groats to
make Raven raw cookies.

I was also inspired by reading Barbara Kingsolver's book
Animal Vegetable Miracle, which describes the adventures
of Barbara, her husband and two daughters living only on
food grown within a 100 mile radius from their home. So
I'm also focusing on buying as much local, organic produce
as possible. I've loved talking to the farmer's who grow the
food (we have a wonderful farm just down the road from us.)
We are also part of a cooperative that buys produce and
meats from local farmers; we get an order from them every
two weeks. It is a joy to go online (www.bountifulsprout.com)
and order what is fresh from the local farmers, then pick it up
in a large bushel basket on Wednesdays.

Raven still drinks milk in his tea, and I still love rice, we are
still eating bananas from Puerto Rico, and it has been fun to
incorporate more mindfulness and new habits into our world.

One other thing I just did that is making me very happy is to buy
a bunch of glass canning jars to store food in, rather than using
plastic. I can then also fill these directly at the store from the bulk
bins, saving on plastic bags (if you do this make sure to weigh
themfirst and write down the tare, so it can be subtracted from the
totalweight.) I also just bought a $12 bottle of cheap wine just for
theglass bottle! So now I can keep this bottle in my car, refill it
easilyat Whole Foods, and use it to top off my smaller glass
water bottlesthat I'm carrying around. Less plastic makes me
VERY happy!

Here are some photos of the growing garden and of T and my
canningproject this weekend. Regular canned tomatoes, italian
stewed tomatoes(garlic, onions, tomatoes and basil basil basil!)
mexican stewed tomatoes(with HOT jalapenos), and four types of
pesto: regular, jalapeno, magic (jalapenos and homemade
sundried tomatoes) and vegan pesto.

The garden photos are taken near dusk.... my favorite time to garden!

Stay healthy this flu season! Probiotics, Wellness Formula or AirBorne, Colloidial Silver, and eating healthy will help keep your immune system strong. And respect the flu virus. It has the capacity to travel by air (when someone near you coughs or sneezes) and can also live from 2 to 8 hours on surfaces. So wash those hands, give coughing and sneezing people a wide berth (and your love!) and be mindful.

Blessings!

Gardening in the Dark

Blessed Fall Equinox!

I have a new passion:  Gardening at night.

My batch of baby mustard greens, collards, chard, and cabbage starts that needed nestled into the earth before the forecasted rain. It was too hot during the day, so after class Tuesday night I put on my my camping headlamp, slipped on my gardening clogs, and planted under the stars.

Under the still covering of darkness, the world is wonderfully alien and new. The eyes of teeny tiny spiders glow in bright pairs, reflecting blue-green as I pass the beam of my flashlight over the ground. I can only focus on one thing at a time, peering through a window of illumination from the light on my forehead.

I laid out all the plants on their new beds where I thought they should live, and then dug them into the freshly turned soil, rich with compost and blood meal and cottonseed meal.

There is very, very little soil where we live, since we are up on the top of a ridge that was once under a vast sea. So two years ago we trucked soil in, and an apprentice build me beautiful stone beds. Now under the beam of my light they make a soft, smooth contrast to the dark soil.

Once the plants were tucked in I watered them deeply and sent them love for their first night of freedom. Raven slept, an owl called in the distance. Peace.

At four a.m. I woke up to the joyful sound of rain and snuck downstairs, past the sleeping dog. I put on my raincoat so I could go out and giggle with the plants and relish the rain washing everything clean, bringing life. Roots spreading down, leaves drinking in each drop.

Here are before and after pictures.... I had let the garden go completely this summer, since it was sooo hot and dry. It was surprising to see what survived: one eggplant, a few zinnias, the thai basil. When I was turning the soil I was gifted with quite a few potatoes that popped out of the depths. I made corn and potato chowder with them; so sweet! I look forward to many fresh greens in the not too distant future.